This invention relates to balloon catheters and similar devices useful to apply heat within a patient's body, e.g. for angioplasty, hyperthermal treatment of tumors, and other medical procedures.
Prior proposals for application of heat internally of the body often have had drawbacks. The devices have been too large for certain procedures or have otherwise been difficult to insert, remove or control. In some cases, the devices have been too complex in construction or have been too expensive.
We have conceived of an approach that, in a number of circumstances, can overcome such drawbacks.